


No Grand Choirs To Sing

by odangoatama



Series: A Hundred Arms, A Hundred Years (Vampire Mermaid AU) [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, vampire mermaid au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 08:32:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18616972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odangoatama/pseuds/odangoatama
Summary: A short flash-forward from 'A Hundred Arms, A Hundred Years.' Upon learning that Robin needs a date for an upcoming ball, Regina finds the means to help him out. // For writtenndust.





	No Grand Choirs To Sing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [writtenndust](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writtenndust/gifts).



> For Hannah, who's having a birthday today. I hope you enjoy. Unedited, forgive any mistakes please.

_ and if tomorrow it's all over _  
_ at least we had it for a moment _  
_ oh darling, things seem so unstable _  
_ but for a moment we were able to be still... _

(— florence + the machine, "no choir")

—  
  
Standing was a challenge she hadn’t been expecting. The wet sand is squishy, molding around her feet and into the spaces between her toes in an uncomfortably foreign way. The waving waters add further difficulty to her shaky balance.  
  
She presses a hand against a nearby boulder to steady herself, brows knitting together at this unexpected obstacle. Wryly, she thinks to herself that she should’ve asked Mr Gold for the ability to walk with her new legs as well.  
  
Cautiously, while leaning heavily against the boulder, she risks lifting a foot off the soft sand. At the same time, a particularly strong wave hits against her from behind. The precarious hold she’d had on her balance is lost, and she barely manages to to twist her torso to brace both hands against the boulder to avoid falling flat on her face.  
  
Defeated, she props herself fully against the rock and opens her mouth to sing.  
  
—  
  
The tavern is in full-swing when Robin hears it. He’s familiarized himself with the melody, with the sensation enough to keep his wits about him when he hears it, though he’s still powerless to ignore its call. But the anxiety that used to sink in his stomach in the early days has now been replaced a warmth in his chest, and the quickening of his pulse is now attributed to a fluttery feeling of anticipation rather than fear.  
  
The pull grows steadily, and he barely manages to let Will know he’s stepping out for some air before his legs break out into a jog out through the doors. He doesn’t fight it, encourages his stride to break into a full run once he’s outside towards the beach.  
  
But the call is unexpected, and a seed of uneasiness plants itself in the back of Robin’s mind. Is something wrong? The incident with Nottingham two weeks ago is still lurking in his thoughts, planting unwanted anxiety at random points of his day. His death had been definitively ruled a mermaid attack — Regina had not held back, and Robin had no idea how to hide the remnants of her handiwork afterward, only knew enough to move the body far away from the pair’s meet-up spot.  
  
His anxiety lessens as he reaches the lonely beach. The only commotion breaking the tranquility in the area comes from the crashing waves, and he feels better as he makes his way over to the familiar cluster of boulders where Regina usually waits for him.  
  
Robin catches a glimpse of her dark hair in the moonlight as she peaks around a rock to look for him. He throws a quick glance over his shoulder for any unwanted company before calling out her name.  
  
“This was unexpected,” he says, bending down to take off his shoes before stepping into the water. As he does so, he hears her let out a tense laugh.  
  
“ _That_ is an understatement,” Regina answers.  
  
Robin steps in further to get a better look at her and realizes she’s much closer to the shore than usual. Leaning oddly against the large rock at her side, she focuses on the dark water in front of her. He follows her gaze, watches the water begin to ripple between them as she cautiously moves to reveal —  
  
_A leg?_ he thinks dumbly.  
  
He’s almost about to ask her who it belongs to when a strong wave ruins Regina’s balance. Robin rushes to catch her on instinct before she falls back completely, and he’s amazed to feel a pair of legs crashing into his as he wraps his arms around her waist.  
  
He exhales, “Understatement, indeed.”  
  
“I can’t walk, though,” she huffs. “I don’t know how.”  
  
“How did you —?”  
  
“Long story,” she interjects. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he catches the sparkle in her eyes as she asks him coyly, “Mind teaching me how to use them?”  
  
—  
  
Regina takes in her surroundings as Robin carries her through the silent little town. She’d always wondered what these villages looked like, and that curiosity only grew after meeting Robin, and hearing stories about how he spends his days. A small flutter of anticipation fills her at the thought that she might finally get to see a day in his life for herself.  
  
“I can hopefully sneak you into the tavern through the back without much commotion,” Robin plans aloud, “I’ll get you settled upstairs and start… teaching you how to walk.”  
  
The marvel in his voice fills Regina with satisfaction. She hadn’t been sure how he’d react to her newly acquired legs. She’d been optimistic when she’d struck the deal with Mr. Gold, but the setback of not knowing how to use them had slightly lowered her high hopes. The intrigue she can feel from him now however, along with the rush of the change of scenery, has that optimism settling in once more.  
  
Maybe this can work.  
  
Whatever _this_ is, she’s not exactly sure yet — but she’s not in the mood to let the hazy unknowns spoil their night. So instead she focuses on the more immediate future. She will learn to walk. And if all goes well, within the next two days she will also learn to dance.  
  
She hears the buzzing and clatter of voices and music long before he does, but she still tenses along with him once the noise finally reaches his ears. They near the source of it — a wide structure that’s just as unfamiliar to her as all the other buildings they’ve passed, but she assumes is the aforementioned _tavern_ he calls home here.  
  
He takes them around the back, ducking underneath lightly billowing shirts and pants similar to the ones she sees him wear — like the very shirt he took off back at the beach and promptly put over her head, his cheeks lightly flushed.  
  
He gently places her on a large crate sitting by the tavern door and pulls down one of the shirts hanging on the wire above them. He puts it on, and gives a lingering look at his soaked pants for a moment before choosing to ignore them and opening the door to peak through.  
  
After a quick look, he opens the door wider, sticking his foot out to prop it open and turns to reach for Regina. The angle is awkward however, and impatient, she decides to risk a potential fall and scoots herself off the crate. The distance between her feet and the ground wasn’t that great, but the lack of familiarity in the impact has her wobbling anyway. Robin’s quick to wrap an arm around her however, shaking his head at her recklessness as he carefully pulls her closer and brings an arm under behind her knees to carry her.  
  
The cacophony inside the tavern makes Regina wince. But Robin moves quickly, rounding a corner and moving promptly up some steps to the second floor of the tavern. The noise dulls just enough to keep a headache from brewing, which she’s grateful for. She has other things to focus on tonight.  
  
Robin stops in front of a closed door, mulling silently for a second over the doorknob before Regina reaches out and turns it for them. He smiles sheepishly at her as he lightly kicks the door open wide enough for them to walk through.  
  
“My, er, sleeping quarters,” Robin explains, looking a bit unsure. She understands however, and nods at him as he places her down gently on top of his bed. He takes note of the soaked shirt he’s let her borrow. “I’ll go see if I can find you some… more appropriate attire. I won’t be long,” he assures.  
  
Regina nods again, but her patience is starting to wear thin. She watches him close the door behind him, and then is quick to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. She takes a moment to get acquainted with the feeling of her feet against the wooden floor. Then, bracing herself, she slowly starts to place her weight onto them as she gets off the bed.  
  
She can feel her legs shake, but they thankfully hold as she manages a fully upright position with her arms out on either side of her. She loudly lets out a breath, looking down at her feet. They’re further apart than she ever sees a human have them while standing, and so she tries to correct that.  
  
Her movements are awkward, she can feel it, but she manages to scoot her right foot closer to her left without falling over. And that fills her with enough confidence to start tackling her ultimate obstacle — walking.  
  
She starts with short steps, her arms flailing around her in an effort to keep from tipping over as her balance shifts back and forth between each leg. She keeps close to the bed, in the hopes of it potentially breaking her fall if —er, _when_ the worst should happen.  
  
It takes up all Regina’s concentration and so she doesn’t register the sound of Robin’s footsteps when he returns. The opening of the door startles her, and before she knows it she’s falling forward — and away from the cushion-y safety of Robin’s bed.  
  
Robin jumps forward in an effort to catch her, but her knees and hands hit the floor before he can. She winces at the unfamiliar pain in her knees. It’s not debilitating, but she wonders idly if they’ll bruise.  
  
Robin bends down to help her off the floor. “Are you always this reckless?” he asks lightly, his eyes running over her for any significant damage.  
  
The right answer, admittedly, was yes. But fixes him with a weak glare instead voicing so. “Well I don’t exactly have a lot of time.”  
  
Robin’s face falls. “You mean there’s a time constraint to…” He gestures awkwardly at her legs.  
  
“No, not exactly. But…,” she trails off, suddenly feeling sheepish. “The ball’s in two days, so you said…,” she explains quietly.  
  
It takes Robin a moment to understand, but his eyes light up once he does. “Oh…,” he answers, a smile growing on his face. His voice turns teasing as he asks, “I wasn’t aware you were attending. Does m’lady have an escort already?”  
  
Regina rolls her eyes, but plays along. “There’s a certain locksmith who talked me into considering it a few days ago.” She braces her hands on his shoulders. “But that’s all irrelevant if I can’t even walk, let alone dance,” she tells him pointedly, pressing into his shoulders as she attempts to stand.  
  
His hands grab her waist, easing her up. Once she’s on her feet, he looks her into her eyes, his own shining as he says, “Well then, should we pull this off, I’m certain that locksmith would be honored to have you accompany him.”  
  
—  
  
“Don’t spend too long braced on one foot,” Robin instructs as he watches Regina. She’s improved enough that he doesn’t feel the need to hover anymore as she moves, but he stays close just in case. “Even I can’t do that for very long without wavering.”  
  
She nods in acknowledgement, but says nothing as she focuses on her feet. Her brows are scrunched close together, and he can see her teeth digging into the inner corner of her mouth. He idly wonders if she’s in danger of drawing blood.  
  
“Tell me,” he says slowly, wanting to ease the tension off of her, but not wanting to fully break her concentration. “How soon do mermaids learn to swim?”  
  
“Immediately,” she answers. “It’s instinct.”  
  
He nods, though she doesn’t see it. “Must be nice. It takes us a few months to learn this as babes. Though Roland learned pretty early, come to think of it…”  
  
Regina laughs softly. “Where is he?”  
  
“Rooming with John, the owner of this place,” he replies. He’d asked John for the favor while on his way to borrow a uniform from a bar wench. John had been quick to say yes — and give him some ribbing over having a woman spending the night. Though he highly doubts anything will happen tonight between him Regina, he accepted the excuse John had offered. After all, he didn’t think John would take too kindly to Robin telling him he’d be teaching a mermaid to walk for the better part of the night.  
  
Regina turns to look at him, smiling, but he can see a small hint of disappointment in her eyes. She wants to see Roland. The thought warms him a little.  
  
“I’m sure he’d be over the moon to see you,” he tells her. “But he’s not very good at keeping secrets.”  
  
Regina laughs again, looking back down at her feet as she tries to turn her stride around. She wavers, and Robin reaches out immediately. She waves him off though, fixing her balance herself, and smirks triumphantly at him after. The grin he gives her in return must make him look like fool, he’s certain, but he can’t help it.  
  
It’s nearing three in the morning when Robin decides to call it a night. Regina’s a quick study, he learns — though he expected nothing less. Her determination alone was enough to have him feeling optimistic about successfully teaching her to walk. She still wobbles a little, and her movements are a bit awkward. But he figures in the next two days they could lessen some of that with more practice.  
  
Dancing however, was another story entirely. And if he’s being realistic, he doubts they’ll be doing much of it at the Blanchards’ ball this weekend. But he’s not disappointed; just the thought of having her beside him makes him feel a bit giddy.  
  
He lets her move to settle into his bed before crawling in beside her. She wastes no time cuddling into his chest, placing a quick peck on his cheek as she thanks him for tonight.  
  
“I should be thanking you,” he tells her. “I’m sure we’ll have a smashing time at the ball this weekend. I just need to find you a dress…” A light one, he thinks, not sure how she’d handle the traditional, heavier dresses. To say it’s late notice for a fitting is an understatement, but he thinks Mary Margaret could possibly make it happen. Then it occurs to him that ballroom slippers are entirely out of the question.  
  
Regina runs a finger lightly over the stubble on his jaw, breaking through his thoughts. “This is more work than I thought it would be.”  
  
“Changed your mind?”  
  
She tucks her head in the crook of his neck. “Not at all,” she answers, quiet but resolute.  
  
Robin smiles softly. Running his fingers through her hair, it occurs to him that this is the first time he’s ever seen it dry. It’s a mess of curls and waves down her back — it suits her.  
  
One of her legs finds its way between his, and her fingers dance long his chest in a way that gives him goosebumps as she waits for sleep to take her. And Robin finds himself dangerously delighted at how natural it feels to have her here. And worried at how empty it’ll feel once she leaves.


End file.
